Bedclothes-holder



(No Model.).

H. 0. THOMAS.

BEDOLOTHES HOLDER. v No. 348,427. Patented Aug. 31, 1886.

WITNESSES INVBNTOR: 4W5 Z KD (0. 5 3mm, (514M). 7 BY ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY O. THOMAS, OF FREMONT, NEBRASKA.

BEDCLOTHES-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 348,427, dated August 31, 1886,

Application liled February 17, 1886. Serial No.10fl,490. 4N0 model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY O. THOMAS, of Fremont, in the county of Dodge and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Bedclothes-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

Figure 1 is a view of the invention appliedto the foot of the bed. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing it in process of adjustment to place. Fig. 3 is adetail view, in perspective, of the clamp. Fig. 4 is a similar view of a modification.

The object of my invention is to provide a means for securing the bedclothes of a bed either at the foot or sides of a bed or crib, to prevent the bedclothes from being kicked off by sleeping children or by sick persons, which tendency to kick off the covering while asleep is a fruitful source of the production or aggravation of disease.

My invention consists in peculiar clamping devices for securing the covers and a bail for holding them down firmly and without mutilating or tearing the same, which I will now proceed to describe.

In the drawings, A represents the bail, and B B the clamps. The bail is made of a double-crank shape, and extends the full length of the footer the greater part of the length of the side of the bed to which it is to be attached, and is made of stout wire strong enough to hold the clothes and yet elastic enough to have a slight spring when adjusting it to place. The clamps B are made of small spring-wire, and are bent into the shape shown with a downward hook, a, at one end big enough to grasp the clothes when wrapped around the bail, and with a hook, I), at the other end to be caught around the bail under the clothes, and near the hook a are one or two spiral convolutions or twists, c, which serve to give a greater elasticity to the clamp in binding laterally against the bedclothes as wrapped around the bail.

In adjusting the holder to place at the foot of the bed the bedclothes are first turned back from the foot of the bed about teninches or so, and the straight middle portion of the bail is laid on this turned-back portion about its middle, as in Fig. 2, on the left. The edge of the bedclothes is then folded over the bail so as to wrap it in the fold, as on the right of Fig. 2. Over the wrap of the bedclothes, at each end of the bail, and also along the middle parts, are then fitted the clamps-B,something after the manner of a clothes-pin, as follows: The large hook, a, is slipped over the fold of the clothes around the bail in about right angular position, and the other end, I), of the clamp is then swung around into nearly parallel position with the bail, and the hook bis theninserted beneath the clothes and caught around the bare bail, so as to lock the clamp in position, in which the large hook a embraces the clothes on the bail and binds laterally against the same with sufficient tension to tightly hold the clothes on the bail. The bail is then taken and its cranked ends d (I are inserted into screw-eyes or sockets in the bedstead or mattress-frame. These screw-eyes may be on the foot-board, the last slat, or the cross-bar of a springbed bottom, or,instead of screw-eyes,there maybe holes bored; in the inner sides of the sideboards at the foot. Into one of these screweyes or sockets one end (2 of the bail is inserted, and the bail is then slightly bent to permit the other end (I to spring into its screw-eye or socket. The clamp B may have sufficient elasticity in its length to dispense with the spiral convolutions c, and its end 1), instead of being simply an upward bend to engage with the bail. may be a downwardlycurving hook, as in Fig. 4, to slip down over the cover and bail after the manner of hook a, and in this form this clamp makes a good clothes-pin to fasten clothes upon a clothesline, and for which I propose to use it.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. The clampB, made of spring-wire,with a hook, a, at one end of large size, adapted to embrace and clamp the clothes, and another, I), at the other,adapted to engage with the bail or clothes-holder, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of a bail, A, with clamp-hooks B, having at one end the large hook a, adapted to embrace and clamp the clothes, and at the other end the small hook 1), adapted to engage with the bail or clothesholder. substantially as and for the purpose end, a hook, b, at the other end, and a spiral described.

3. The clamp 13, having it hook, a,at one end, a hook, I), at the other, and a spiral twist 5 at a, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The clamp 13, bavinga hook, it, at one twist at c, in combination with the bail A, as and for the purpose described.

HENRY O. THOMAS.

, Witnesses:

EDWD. XV. BYRN, SoLoN O. KEMoN. 

